The Prince and the Bard
by Kanoi-chan
Summary: Prince Eiri and his fiancée visit the neighboring kingdom’s Prince Ryuichi because Ryuichi’s older brother and Eiri’s older sister are getting married. While traveling the city under the name of Yuki, Eiri meets a commoner named Shuichi.


Kanoi: OMG! I finally return!

Shuichi: YAY! –throws confetti-

Yuki: You promised this over a year ago.

Kanoi: I know. –sulks- I'm bad.

Yuki: Yes, you are.

Kanoi: Shut up! –hits Eiri over the head with a frying pan-

Shuichi: 0.0 Where did that come from?

Kanoi: -looks at the frying pan- No clue… Shuichi!

Shuichi: Yes?

Kanoi: Do the disclaimer or you shall face the same fate as your lover boy over here!

Shuichi: Noooo. TT

Kanoi: Shuuuuu. –brandishes frying pan-

Shuichi: Meep! Okay okay! Disclaimer: Kanoi doesn't own Gravitation. She would beat us up too much if she did.

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"Hiro!" a young man with pink hair shouted as he threw open the door to the house he shared with his best friend.

One of the strings on Hiro's sitar snapped as he jumped in surprise at his housemate's abrupt entrance.

"What, Shuichi?" the red-headed man growled in irritation.

Completely oblivious to his friend's irritation, Shuichi continued, "The royal family of Kyoto is at the castle!"

"What does that have to do with me?" Hiro questioned in exasperation.

"The wedding is happening soon!" Shuichi squealed, jumping around like some insane rabbit.

"How is that exciting?" the redhead asked without a hint of amusement.

"You're helping cater it!" the pinkette chirped.

Hiro stared with an unchanging expression.

"That means I get to see the inside of the castle!" Shuichi continued jovially.

"Oh no!" Hiro shouted.

"Why not?" Shuichi demanded.

"You'll lose me my job, that's why," Hiro shouted.

"You're so mean!" the smaller man wailed.

!#$&()

"Eiri, it's your only sister's wedding, one would think you could act at least somewhat civil," Princess Mika scolded her first brother.

"Wrong," Prince Eiri said blandly, "it's not your wedding quite yet. Therefore, I don't have to be nice to you."

Mika glared at her brother before storming out of the room, right past her youngest brother Tatsuha.

"Why do you insist on pissing her off so much?" Tatsuha asked his big brother.

"Because she insists on continuously asking for it," Eiri replied before pouring himself a glass of wine.

Tatsuha's eyes lit up and he asked, "Can I have some?"

Eiri responded with a curt, "No."

Tatsuha's pout was less than attractive. "Why not?"

Eiri replied coolly, "You're too young."

An indignant expression crossed Tatsuha's face while Eiri downed his wine in one gulp. The older male made his way to the room's exit.

"Where are you going?" the younger occupant of the room demanded.

"Out," Eiri replied flippantly.

Tatsuha glared after his older brother, knowing that if something were to go wrong he would be the one Mika would yell at.

!#$&()

Eiri looked around disdainfully. He really didn't like large crowds, but he liked his family even less. Therefore, he had vacated the castle and opted to "explore" the surrounding village. As far as the prince could tell, it was a quaint place. The people were relatively lacking in wealth, but they seemed happy. Over all, there was nothing special about it.

Eiri was about to leave the crowded street to find somewhere quieter when he was knocked over by something barreling into his back. The blonde man turned to yell at who ever had run into him only to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Who on Earth had pink hair?

"Aw, god damn it! Hiro's gonna kill me! I'm so late!"

Eiri's other eyebrow joined the first. The small, pink thing was male?

"Hey, I'm **so** sorry! I…" Shuichi's apology fell right off his tongue when he looked up into the most hypnotizing eyes he had ever seen. When his eyes took in what the eyes came from, Shuichi's heart skipped a beat. This guy was totally drool worthy.

Eiri grimaced in revulsion. Was that drool on that oddity's chin? What was wrong with this guy? Eiri was starting to get really creeped out by the way this kid was staring at him.

"There you are!"

Eiri almost sighed in relief when the odd pink-haired guy's attention snapped off of him.

"Hiro! I was just on my way!" the pink-haired guy explained hurriedly.

Eiri looked at this "Hiro." At least this guy looked normal.

"Shuichi, I've been looking for you for the past half-hour!" Hiro scolded.

So the pink-haired menace's name was Shuichi. Eiri stored this piece of information away in his mind. He wasn't quite sure why, but he was interested in the anomaly that had run him over.

"But-" whatever Shuichi was about to come up with was cut short by Hiro grabbing the back of his collar.

"Come on! It's time to make money!" Hiro growled as he dragged his friend off.

Eiri made a mental note to ask if there was something in the water. People didn't just become that crazy without some kind of catalyst.

!#$&()

Hiro glanced through the corner of his eye at Shuichi. The pink-haired teen was scowling. That wasn't something that happened every day- crying, yes; scowling, no.

Hiro decided to go for the blunt approach (Shuichi wouldn't understand any attempt at subtlety anyway) and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Shuichi shot his worst death glare at Hiro (which, in all fairness, was about as effective as having a guard rabbit).

Hiro bit his lip to keep from laughing; that would only put his friend in a worse mood. After he was sure he could open his mouth without laughter tumbling out, he asked, "So who was that guy?"

"I wouldn't know since **somebody** (the "death glare" was once again shot at Hiro here) made me leave before I got to ask his name," Shuichi answered sourly.

"Oh well," was all Hiro had to say for himself.

He should have thought his words over more carefully, however, as Shuichi started to pitch a fit as soon as the words left his mouth.

!#$&()

"So where'd you go?" Tatsuha asked casually as he popped a grape into his mouth.

Eiri's eye twitched when he spotted his brother sprawled across **his **bed.

"People watching," Eiri answered flatly.

"Yeah, sure." Tatsuha obviously didn't believe him. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Eiri could actually feel the threads of his patience snapping one by one. "What are you doing in here?"

"Ayaka was looking for you. I told her I'd let you know if I saw you," Tatsuha informed his brother.

"Well now I know, so you can leave," Eiri snapped.

"I don't want to." Eiri found himself deciding sixteen year old males just should **not** pout.

"Out!" Eiri shouted, and his brother left with a grumble.

Eiri ran his hand down his angular face in an expression of exasperation. He poured himself another glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. How he wished he had something stronger.

Despite being fed up and ready to just take a break, Eiri had no time to rest. Ayaka was looking for him, and as he had learned long ago it was best to find his fiancée before she had the chance to find him. Ayaka was not known for her patience.


End file.
